Feds: Member of Proud Boys arrested in Washington state

(AP) — The Justice Department says a member of the Proud Boys has been arrested in Washington state in connection with the breach of the nation’s Capitol.

Ethan Nordean, also known as Rufio Panman, appeared in U.S. District Court in Seattle on Wednesday afternoon, after he was charged in Washington, D.C., with obstructing an official proceeding, entering a restricted building, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds.

The Justice Department says the 30-year-old Nordean was among those who entered the Capitol and that he had been near the front of the crowd of rioters as the confronted Capitol Police. Nordean’s father said in an email that his son “will be held accountable for his actions.”

The Canadian government has designated the Proud Boys group as a terrorist entity. The government notes the Proud Boys played a “pivotal role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6” and a senior official says that contributed to the designation. The Proud Boys is a far-right, male chauvinist extremist group known for engaging in violent clashes at political rallies.  The group has faced increased scrutiny after seizing on the former Trump administration’s policies and was a major agitator during earlier protests and the Capitol riot on Jan. 6.